


Sleep

by satbiym



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, M/M, Sleep Deprivation, Sleepy Tony, crazy tony, it's cool, little ball of purr, steve handles it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2014-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-10 15:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2030442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satbiym/pseuds/satbiym
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sleep, or rather, lack of sleep is a terrible lover. Some people regress in the face of a tumultuous relationship. Some, become weary caricatures of themselves, held together by bone and luck. </p>
<p>But know this, all who try to tame her for their mistress, fail; with hollow eyes, broken and mad.</p>
<p>Sure, many men and women boast of their ability to stare unflinchingly at a dark and sleepless night, but what they don’t know is that slowly, but surely, age will rob their minds and leave them bare.<br/>Their minds will degenerate, leaving a shell behind.</p>
<p>And thus we start the story of the invincible Tony Stark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleep

Sleep, or rather, _lack_ of sleep is a terrible lover. Some people regress in the face of a tumultuous relationship. Some, become weary caricatures of themselves, held together by bone and luck.

 

But know this, all who try to tame her for their mistress, fail; with hollow eyes, broken and mad.

 

Sure, many men and women boast of their ability to stare unflinchingly at a dark and sleepless night, but what they don’t know is that slowly, but surely, age will rob their minds and leave them bare.

Their minds will degenerate, leaving a shell behind.

 

And thus we start the story of the _invincible_ Tony Stark.

 

While Tony’s mind was forged to withstand the most ferocious academic crossfire, even it couldn’t escape the consequences of being in his fourt-(ahem)- _thirties._ So, while young Tony Stark partied and charmed girls (and boys) into his bed, as he invented newer, better ways to create explosions, his brain slowly gave away his _insomnia brownie points._

Now, in his “thirties” and a connoisseur in his own right, as his father before him, his ability to multi-task without sleep, is long gone. Now Tony wanders about his Tower, a wisp of a man, with science in his mind and nonsense on his lips.

The most formidable mind of the generation, stumbled, somehow managing the (almost _holy)_ trek for coffee from his workshop to the kitchen; He poured out his nth cup, debating the merits of producing his own coffee.

_It would be cheaper. Though, Pepper would kill me nice and clean if I bought a company only to consume all its products…..hmmm….unless..._

Tony shook himself, now was clearly not the time to dally about, science was waiting. He again began the treacherous journey back, only to almost bash his head into a door. Head tilted, he examined the problem like a scientist.

 

**Problem:** Door. Locked.

**End Result:** Need to get back to science.

**Procedure:**

Figure out lock

Unlock the door

 

_Seems simple enough._

Tony, narrowed his eyes, he did not remember even putting a mangy door in his bloody kitchen. Who even uses bolts anymore? What kind of place do they think he’s running here? A King Arthur LARPing festival?

Not that he has ever been to one. Not even when he was in MIT. Certainly not 2 years ago with actual ( _historically accurate)_ armor. No.

 

Now, time for step two. Kitchens have knives and shit.

Tony, imbued with purpose, surged forward only to quizzically stare at his cup of joe. He blinked for two seconds, unable to compute.

Tony, carefully walked forward and, akin to handling a new born child, placed it on the table, waited to ensure that the cup was alright, and started hunting for a knife.

 

_A HA! TAKE THAT DOOR!_

 

He then descended upon the screws of the bolt like a whore wishing for a return policy, all the while his ( _brilliant)_ brain worked on probabilities and algorithms.

 

He muttered like a man possessed, “Oh…so, if the screws fail to obey me, their benevolent ruler, I’ll burn the door. But if Natasha wakes up to smoke…again..aga…no..nah….unreasonable risk..steebe proud…..but, if I go out through the windows…..Loki..would survive…but reaction time would be too long…BAH…maybe if I give Tasha a Bournville …. _hehe.. you have to earn a bornville…..or an eagle will carry you off…Clint will like that..”_

 

So focused was he on his mission that he completely missed the sound of footsteps behind him, and barely noticed the surprised voice.

“Tony, what are you-TONY! Why are you attacking Thor’s poptart closet! You know he gets upset! Tony!”

 

Only being repeatedly shaken broke the spell, and chased the tongue back into Tony’s mouth. He looked up, tearing up due to the sudden, bright light above him. “Steebe?”

 

Steve, stared at the crazy haired, manic eyed _helper elf_ whom he called a friend ( _Boyfriend. Lover. Mate)_. For, you see, time has made sleepless Tony acquire the single-mindedness of a race horse, he can only focus one thing, and most of the time that thing is _science._

Steve backed away slowly, wary. He slowly, so as to not startle the child sitting in front of a locked door with a ( _sharp)_ kitchen knife, reached towards a bowl, and produced a key.

“Here, if you want poptarts that badly, here is the key, Tony. I won’t tell if you won’t”

He smiled. He did learn _something_ during spy training, _don’t let them know you’re rattled._

As Tony contemplated the wonders of the key, Steve quietly questioned JARVIS.

JARVIS, happy to stop this nonsense, surrendered.

 

Steely eyed, Steve walked towards Tony and knelt. “Tony, hun, enough. Let’s go to sleep. I miss you.”

 

“But Steebe, _science”_

_“_ I know Darlin’, but I miss you.I’m sure we can do some science-ing in bed.” Steve waggled his eyebrows, sending Tony’s trademarked expression back to him, only for Tony to giggle and heave himself up, cup of coffee long forgotten, obeying the rules of Thermodynamics.

 

As for the rest, well…Tony did _devote_ himself single-mindedly to a task when sleepless. _Most_ of the time it’s science.

 

He then, spent, slept.

 


End file.
